Ashley | Faces of Recreation

May 6, 2017

Ashley is a 4th Year Arts Student

How long have you been participating in UBC Recreation programs?

I have been a part of UBC Thunderbirds Sport Clubs (UBC TSC) officially for the past two academic years from 2015 to 2017. However, I was also involved in our application into TSC which took up much of the year before that!

Why do you choose UBC Recreation programs?

The AMS offers a UBC Sailing Club but I wanted more than just a recreational sailing club throughout university. I helped our AMS sailing team apply for TSC status in 2014 and helped the team transition into their new home at UBC REC. The Thunderbird Sailing Sport Club with UBC Recreation offers a highly competitive and social atmosphere that I absolutely love for the team! It opens the door for competitive national and international competition as well as the opportunity for student leadership. UBC Recreation and the TSC staff are so supportive and do everything in their power to help our team have successful seasons. UBC Recreation is really the team’s home and we feel really lucky to be a part of the TSC community.

What’s a fun fact about your team?

The Sailing Sport Club competes both nationally and internationally which means we travel, A LOT! We have competitions down the West Coast of the United States as far as San Francisco and across to Hawaii, as well as competitions in Ontario and along the East Coast of the United States. We just recently attended an international regatta in France attended by 180 schools representing over 20 different countries. I would have never believed that I would have done so much travelling with my university sailing team going into first year!

What’s your favourite memory from UBC TSC?

My favourite memory from being a TSC athlete was while I was in Arzon, France for the 49th Course Crosiere EDHEC, sitting in first in our fleet which was absolutely amazing, and later finding out that our team had also won TSC Team of the Year. Being on the executive for both years and knowing how much hard work our team had put into the year, we were all ecstatic that our team was fist in an international regatta while at the same time being recognized within TSC as a team to inspire others! It’s one of my favourite memories and I hope it is a moment that lives on in our team for a long time.

What is one thing you think other students should know about UBC Thunderbirds Sport Clubs?

I think that coming into University a lot of students think they have two choices: Varsity athletics or really basic recreational clubs or teams. That is a myth. UBC Recreation and Thunderbird Sport Clubs has worked really hard to create a competitive community at UBC where you can compete in your sport at a high level without an intense training routine found or perceived in varsity athletics. All of the teams at TSC offer something different and are mostly catered to beginners as well as experienced athletes as long as you are determined to contribute to the team. I think every team does a really good job of being inclusive to all abilities while maintaining really competitive results at the same time and it creates a community you want to be a part of.